Seven are arrested after South Orange prom festivites are disrupted by melee

SOUTH ORANGE - A long-held town tradition was disrupted by violence tonight, when several fights erupted among dozens of high school students during a ceremony in a village park held before the Columbia High School prom, police said.

At least seven teens were arrested for fighting and drug possession after the melee broke out at the center of Grove Park between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., South Orange Police Chief James Chelel said. Police were not immediately sure if all of the juveniles involved in the brawl were students. It could not be determined if the seven teens taken into custody were high school students.

The dust-up disrupted South Orange’s annual "Showcase," a gathering where high school students from South Orange and Maplewood don their tuxedos and prom dresses before walking a red carpet in front of a crowd filled with family and friends, according to Douglas Newman, president of the South Orange Village trustees.

"It’s like the simulation of the Academy Awards," Newman said.

"Showcase" is sanctioned by the town, who issued organizers a special event permit for the gathering. The prom was to be held at The Westmount Country Club in Paterson.

Several small fights broke out among the crowd as the revelers showed off their outfits, according to Chelel. A pair of brass knuckles may have been used during the incident, he said.

Newman arrived at the scene after the melee had dispersed, but was told by authorities that some "pushing and shoving" among the spectators had escalated into a fight. South Orange police were on hand for parking direction and crowd control, Newman added, but had to call in reinforcements when the brawl worsened.

"It’s usually a wonderful event," Newman said. "It typically lasts only an hour. Some of the kids arrive in limousines. It’s a tradition that has been going on for some time. But it seems as though some people got overexcited."